Why
Bird Watching?
I
have been watching birds since childhood but till date i have
no specific answer to this. just love to see them. May be because
they are pretty, colorful and their amazing behavior attract me.
Its just fascinating to see them. so many variety of birds with
their extreme beauty and above all the cheerful sound they make.
You can always see them doing one or the other interesting things.
Birds
are one of the most important part of nature. They are excellent
ecological indicators. They are free to roam around, fly high
in the sky, dive, scoop or whatever that is natural to them. Nobody
takes care of them unlike we do of our pets or plants.
While
watching birds, we get to know how they interact with each other,
how they build nests and raise their families. What they feed
upon and how they handle other species and also the disruptions
from the mankind. Wheather birds are more complex than other creatures
is certainly debatable but that makes them more interesting to
watch. Their behavior in certain conditions especialliy during
mating period is a pleasure to watch. Birds are often the source
of inspiration. They are one of our most effective link with the
natural world.
Bird watching has no end and can last for life time.
There
are certain essential things which a birder should remeber. No
bright clothing, but light colored cloths matches the surrounding.
No loud sounds, silence is a must. No quick moves, walk gently,
slowly. Avoid open areas, use hides, avoid disturbing birds. Best
thing is to find a good place near a habitat that has water, shelter
and food for birds and sit there comfortably placing your tools.
After a few minutes birds will start coming and you can feel the
joy of birds watching.
Birds
The
oldest bird fossil, Archaeopatrix, is supposed to be an animal
that is say half bird half reptile. Its winged and covered with
feathers. It also possess reptile like teeth and tail. Birds have
fethers and reptiles have scales. Birds specialize in air travell
while reptiles mostly stick to the ground.
Watching
birds and spotting them requires strong observational skills.
And I must say its not that difficult. Moving with experienced
birders initially helps a lot and then your own bird seeing talent
also plays a major role. Basics of birding can be learned using
any good book avalaible in the book store. Bird watching camps
are of great help to start birding as a long time hobby.
Gradually,
say after few months a birder develops his own ideas of birds
and spotting them. He finds birds in places where other find nothing.
His brain works automatically looking details ranging from minor
ones like size color to major ones like wingbars, spots, eyestrip
etc.
Birding
Tools
Three
basic tools are binocular, field guide and the note book. Plz
check Tools/Equipments page for more
details.
Where
to Go for bird watching
- Local
area / backyard
- Natural
areas
- Protected
areas
Birders start with looking for birds that are found near their
locality, in houses, gardens etc. This local spot can also be
a park, or a pond, a farm. Birders should than take a note of
different species, preferabely their count also. Information about
which birds breed and those just visitors can lead to a proper
survey. Even the trees along the streets, lawns, bushy hedges
sperating houses or one near the water tanks can be good place
for finding birds.
In cities and towns there are patches of distinct habitats attracting
different bird species. Wetlands attract water birds and provide
a good habitat to other species too. Again, forests,
hilly areas, shaded and wooded areas too provide birders a lot
of opportunities to study about birds specific to this habitat.
Protected areas like national parks, bird sancturies provide birds
a secure environment where birders can learn other aspects like
bird behaviour, nesting and interaction with other birds and species.
When
to go for birding
Birds
are mostly active during morning or evening. First two or three
hrs of the morning is the best time for birding activity. Again,
in the evening, two hrs before the sun sets when its time for
the birds to return to their roosting places.
In
the nesting season, birds are a treat to watch. Early in the season,
adults sing from the perch to attract females. Its the best season
for locating different birds and also learning about their calls.
Bird calls are of great help in identifying birds in the later
stages of birding. During winters, thousands of water and and
many terrestrial birds migrate down south and cover lakes, pods
and wetlands. These birds return as the mercury rises. In central
india, migratory birds start arriving during october and return
by march or april
:: Parag Bakshi ( info at bhopalbirds dot com ) ::
